Go Back
–+ servings
Pozole

Classic Pozole Rojo with Pork and Hominy

Pozole rojo with slow-simmered pork shoulder, a toasted guajillo and ancho chile broth, and tender white hominy.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs boneless pork shoulder cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
  • 2 tsp salt for the pork
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 large white onion quartered
  • 6 cloves garlic peeled
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 8 cups chicken broth
  • 6 dried guajillo chiles stems and seeds removed
  • 3 dried ancho chiles stems and seeds removed
  • 2 dried chiles de arbol stems removed, optional
  • 1 tsp salt for the chile sauce
  • 2 (15.5 oz) cans white hominy drained and rinsed
  • 3 cups shredded green cabbage for serving
  • 6 radishes thinly sliced, for serving
  • 1/2 white onion finely diced, for serving
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped, for serving
  • 2 limes cut into wedges, for serving
  • 1 avocado sliced, for serving
  • tostadas or tortilla chips for serving

Instructions

  • Sear the pork: Pat the pork cubes dry and season them with the 2 teaspoons of salt. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat and brown the pork in two batches, about 5 minutes per batch, until the outsides are deeply colored. Don't crowd the pot or the meat steams instead of browning.
  • Start the simmer: Return all the pork to the pot with the quartered onion, garlic cloves, bay leaves, Mexican oregano, cumin and chicken broth. Bring it to a boil, then drop the heat to low, cover, and simmer 1 hour and 45 minutes. Skim the foam off the top during the first 20 minutes.
  • Toast and soak the chiles: While the pork simmers, heat a dry skillet over medium. Toast the guajillo and ancho chiles, plus the arbol chiles if you're using them, about 30 seconds per side, just until they smell warm and a little smoky. Pull them before they darken or the sauce turns bitter. Cover them with 3 cups of hot water and soak 20 minutes, until soft and pliable.
  • Blend the red chile sauce: Lift the softened chiles into a blender with 1 1/2 cups of their soaking liquid and the 1 teaspoon of salt. Blend on high for a full minute, until completely smooth. Pour it through a fine mesh strainer, pressing on the solids, and discard the skins left behind. That strain is what makes the broth silky instead of gritty.
  • Add the sauce and hominy: Stir the strained chile sauce and the drained hominy into the pot. Simmer uncovered for 35 minutes, until the broth turns deep brick red and a cube of pork pulls apart under a fork with no resistance, around 195°F on a thermometer. Pork clears the USDA's 145°F minimum well before this point, and the extra time is what melts the collagen and makes the meat tender.
  • Fish out the aromatics and season: Remove the bay leaves and the onion quarters. Taste the broth and add salt until it tastes seasoned rather than flat. A pot this size usually takes another teaspoon or two.
  • Set out the garnishes and serve: Put the shredded cabbage, radishes, diced onion, cilantro, lime wedges and avocado in bowls on the table. Ladle the pozole into wide bowls and let everyone top their own, with tostadas or tortilla chips alongside.

Notes

Toast the dried chiles only about 30 seconds per side and strain the blended sauce, which is what makes the broth silky instead of gritty. Simmer the pork shoulder until a cube pulls apart under a fork, around 195°F on a thermometer; pork clears the USDA's 145°F minimum long before that, and the extra time is what melts the collagen. Reheat leftovers to 165°F.